Those Three Words
by SupahStarmon
Summary: After Riko says three words to Chika, both of their feelings begin to appear. This impacts the group and makes them go through love and loss. [Hiatus]
1. Those Three Words

"I love you," Riko says.

"…What?" Chika says out of surprise.

Riko realizes what she says and begins to blush furiously. She also notices that Chika is blushing as well. "I…um…I don't mean… Let's just go back. Okay?"

"Umm, okay…"

On the way back, there was a dead silence between the two as they rode their bikes.

Riko couldn't stop blushing, but kept a straight face while going back to the inn. She had to think about what she said.

' _I can't believe I said that! We're just friends, she's my best friend! I just got caught up in the moment. She said for me to go to the piano concert and I was just so happy. I don't like her in that way, right?'_

Chika also was blushing, but seemed a bit more flustered.

' _My best friend said she loves me? That's okay though. Friends say that to each other all the time, right? Best friends would say that even more…'_

' _But, maybe she really meant love. There was something that tells me she loves me, in that way.'_

After thinking about the times her and Riko shared, she thought ' _And I think I might... no, but… argh! I just don't know!'_

Right as they got back to the inn, Riko rushed off her bike and ran inside, not even looking at Chika.

"Riko, wait!" Chika exclaimed, but was ignored. _'I need to know, I need to know if she does… love me…'_

Riko immediately covered herself with the futon, and hid herself under the covers so Chika couldn't play with her face.

Just thinking about Chika, especially Chika touching her face, made her blush intensely. Chika walked into the room, and crawled into her bed… which is right beside Riko. This put Riko in an even more panicked state.

' _My heart is beating so fast, she is so close! What am I going to do? That's it, I'll just pretend I'm asleep. I hope she-. '_

"Hey Riko? You still awake?" Chika asked quietly. _'I need to know before she leaves. This is the only time I can talk to her.'_

Riko was pretending to be asleep, but Chika wouldn't fall for that. Chika got up and went to Riko's futon and started poking the cover. Riko was starting to get annoyed.

"Riko, please let me talk to you. I want-."

Riko moved her covers and stormed outside. Chika quickly followed her.

"Chika, please leave me alone. I need some time by myself," Riko asked, sounding a bit upset.

"No," Chika answered, "not until we talk about what you said. We can talk about this-"

"But I don't!" Riko quietly yelled. "I don't want to talk about what I said. I didn't mean it."

"I think you did, and I want to say something about that."

Riko wouldn't turn around to face Chika (because she was blushing at what Chika said), so Chika did what she had to do. She went around quickly and looked Riko in the eyes. Riko was really shocked and started to walk away. She froze up when Chika held her shoulders.

She turned Riko around and started to speak."Riko, I know you might say that you were joking about saying… those words. But I've thought about what you said. The amount of time I've spent with you throughout this year was one of the best years of my life. Along with everyone else, I've never had as much fun than becoming school idols. You have been one of the biggest helps along this path, along with You. Helping me with songs always made me happy, and I hope it did for you. Those words you said may have been a lie, but I realized something."

Riko and Chika were both in tears, and Chika said those words.

"I love you, Riko."

Riko didn't react at first, but she did what she felt was right.

She kissed Chika. A short kiss, but one that made sure of their feelings toward each other.

They both were blushing, but were both very happy.

"So, what you said. It was real?" Chika asked.

"I thought I was too weird once I said that, but I realized after what you were talking about with us that… I felt the same way you do." Riko said, still furiously blushing.

"We should head back inside. You wouldn't want to get sick before your big competition," Chika said.

"You should follow your own advice then," Riko teased as Chika laughed.

As they were going inside, Chika looked at her bed and then Riko's futon. "Would you like… to… sleep in… my bed?"

Riko looked shocked, but her expression changed from shocked to happy. "I would love to."

They cuddled up under Chika's blanket, and Chika kissed Riko's nose as they drifted off to sleep."I love you," they said in unison. They giggled and fell asleep.

 **END OF CHAPTER 1**

Hi there! Thanks for reading my fanfic.

This is the first ever fanfic that I have written, so sorry if it's bad. When I saw Riko tell Chika that first line of this story, I had to write something from it since the episode just ended after. I hope that this fluffy story was short and sweet, and left you happy.

Any feedback and critiques are welcome, since this is my first time writing anything! I want to make this into a full-on fanfic with multiple chapters, but I would want to hear some feedback beforehand.

Have a great day!


	2. Feelings Of Sadness

(I'd like to thank those of you that read, favourited, or followed this story. Writing is very enjoyable. Hopefully this story can reach others. Otherwise, onto the chapter!)

* * *

Chika and Riko were still in bed by the time everyone else woke up. There was also some worried looks from everyone, wondering where Riko was.

The first to notice: You.

"Umm, where's Riko? Her futon is empty."

Immediately, Ruby starts to worry about Riko while Hanamaru and Yoshiko calmed her down. The third years went around the inn to look for her, except for a certain blonde.

"Awww! This is so cute!" Mari exclaimed in a hushed tone. This caused the first years to look where Mari was staring at, which caused them to blush.

Riko had her head placed on Chika's chest, while Chika had her hand on top of Riko's head.

The other three came back while the two were still asleep. You felt something… just what she felt was not known to her.

' _When did they go into the bed? Riko was just on her futon. Did… something happen? Riko got scared? No, Shiitake was also asleep, she couldn't have seen him. Why… why do I care so much?'_

Finally, Chika started stirring around and gradually her eyes widened. And… she started to panic… which caused Riko to wake up.

"Ahh! I…umm…Riko, want to explain?"

Riko realized her position and sprung up from the bed. "I was…cold! Chika let…me sleep…with her blanket…" Riko said as she was blushing heavily.

"No, no. It's okay, we understand your 'closeness'," Mari playfully said to the two second years.

This caused them to blush even harder that before, as Kanan shook her head in disappointment. "Mari, be nice. You two can talk about it later," Kanan told the two.

"Oh!" Riko alerted the girls. "I need to tell you guys. I'm going to the piano concert, so I can't be in the Love Live qualifiers," Riko said in a disappointed tone.

The girls were also saddened, but Chika started to speak. "I also wanted her to go. She loves being an idol, but she also loves the piano. She's been with us the entire time and I can see how much how much she has missed playing."

Yoshiko spoke up. "Well, if I want to do something that I did before I would miss doing it after a while. That's how Yohane would feel if I didn't have the tools of the fallen angel with me!"

"We understand Riko, go and practice. We want you to do well at everything you do. We'll support you!" Dia told Riko.

Everyone supported Riko, which made her much happier. "Thanks everyone, I won't let you down!"

Everyone cheered and started the day, while Riko left to go to her house. Chika went with her as everyone started to get ready. You wondered why Chika went with Riko, so she followed the two of them to Riko's house. You hid and overheard their conversation.

"I'm so happy everyone was supportive. I was scared that everyone would be too sad and would not want- "

Chika hugged her, which seemed to stop Riko's rambling. "Shh, no one would stop. If they did, I would just push them harder." Riko laughed at that. "I just want you to do as best as you can. You can do it, just remember us and put in as much work as we will." After she said that, Chika kissed Riko lightly. This was seen by You, and caused her to blush.

"Thanks Chika, I don't know what I would have done without your kindness," Riko said as she pulled Chika closer.

"I love you."

You heard Chika say that and felt a pain of sadness, but she couldn't figure out what that feeling was. She then started to run back to the others. Yoshiko saw her and tried to call out to her, but You went a different way from her. She noticed that You was blushing, and looked a bit sad. She also saw Chika outside of Riko's door.

' _Why do I feel sad? They're just friends, but friends don't say 'I love you.' I just wanted to see what Chika was doing and I saw…that! I…I should ask Chika when she gets back. Maybe they-'_

You bumped into Dia, and Dia was about to scold her. However, she saw that You was spaced out. "You, what's wrong?"

"No-nothing! Just still a bit tired. I think Chika was almost done talking with Riko." You hid her feelings well enough that no one could notice what she was feeling. Except for two people.

Mari, being her observant self, heard You's slight sadness in her voice. _'Hmm, You looks like she needs some talking to.'_

The other was Yoshiko. She just joined the group when she did see You run into Dia. _'You is usually more attentive. She wouldn't have run into Dia if she was focused. I need to ask her what's wrong. We need to practice hard!'_

Chika came a bit after that incident, excited as ever. "Okay everyone, let's go!"

Everyone cheered loudly, except for You. She couldn't muster up enough excitement even with Chika's positivity.

…

After today's practice, You and Yoshiko were heading for the bus stop when Yoshiko remembered that she forgot something, so she headed back to Chika's place. You had some time for herself to think.

' _I don't feel really excited about this. Especially now that I need to do Riko's part for the qualifiers. Why me? I know I'm Chika's best friend. From what I saw, Riko looks like she's Chika's best friend…even her girlfriend. I can't compare to Riko. She's so much better-"_

Mari snuck up behind You and suddenly grabbed her breasts. You, of course, was shocked and upset.

"Now, now. I need to see a face that doesn't make me sad," Mari explained. "You weren't yourself today. Want to talk about it?"

You was surprised, she thought that she fooled everyone with her happiness. "No, I'll be okay. Just have some things to think over." You hoped that Mari didn't push her, because she didn't feel comfortable talking about her issues.

Being the director, Mari was not one to let one of her friends be sad. "Nope, we are going to talk. I want you to be positive and happy like I know you are."

Mari grabbed You's hand and found a bench to sit on, close to the bus station. "Now, what's up?"

You was very nervous, as she was talking about love to her senpai. "Well…I saw something today, and I don't know how I feel."

It became very quiet, as the two were both silent. "I can't help if I don't know how to feel too," Mari said.

"Umm…Ch-Chika and Riko…hugged…and ki-kiss-." You was very nervous, and told Mari this in a hushed tone. _'What am I doing? What if she tells Chika? I'll never forgive Mari and Chika and Riko may hate me forever!'_

"Interesting…" Mari took some time to process what You told her. "So, they hugged and kissed?"

You became very embarrassed and covered Mari's mouth. "Shhh! What if someone hears? I'll be dead!"

Mari laughed at You's embarrassment. "Don't worry, look who's around us. No one. Also, it's close to night time and the bus isn't coming very soon. Now, for your situation. You just sound…jealous."

You was in disbelief. "What do you mean jealous? It's just that Chika and Riko have been very close, especially today. They were sharing a bed and kissed right in front of me!"

"Are you sure about that? Did they know you were watching them? Why did you follow them in the first place? That sounds like someone who's jealous of someone. And that's happening for you and Riko."

"But that doesn't…wait." You couldn't believe it, Mari was spot on with how she was feeling. "I guess you're right. But, I feel happy for them. I-"

"Wait." Mari interrupted You as she was talking. "I can definitely see that you are jealous. You is jealous of their love!"

"No! I just said, I'm really happy for them!"

"No, no, no. You wish that you were with Chika. You just want Chika to be happy. You are feeling a pain of not being with the one you…love."

You realized that the pain she felt was exactly what Mari said. She couldn't believe it, she was in love with her best friend. And her love may never be realized. Right now, she was speechless.

"I know this is a lot for you to understand." Mari said as she patted You's head. "If you don't want to come tomorrow for practice, call me. I'll be sure to tell everyone."

You held back tears as she was being petted. "Thanks Mari. For everything."

Mari hugged You and went back to her house. You sat silently on the bench as she waited for the bus. _'I wish that Chika was with me. I miss hanging out with her. And…I wish that I could hug her…and kiss her.'_

What You didn't see was Mari and Yoshiko pass by each other. Both said their goodbyes and Yoshiko walked to the bus stop and saw You, who looked sad.

"You! I got my stuff. Are you okay?" Yoshiko said as she sat down beside You. What Yoshiko didn't expect was You to look at her on the verge of tears.

"No, I'm not," You said and immediately broke down into tears. Yoshiko hugged You, and let You rest her head on her lap. _'Something must have happened with her. I'll make sure to talk to Chika tomorrow.'_

The bus arrived and the two of them boarded. The way back to their home was comforting, at least for You. Yoshiko blushed her way home as You rested her head on her shoulder and slept. Although, Yoshiko didn't mind.

 **END OF CHAPTER 2**


	3. The Feeling of Love is Revealed

Everyone met up at the train station to say their goodbyes to Riko and wish her luck. Even You, despite her having mixed feelings about her and…Chika.

Everyone surrounded Riko while Chika stood in the center of everyone. With everyone looking at her, they spoke separately.

Starting off the wishes, Ruby. "Good luck Riko! Do your Rubesty!"

Her sister was right beside her. "Riko, you'll do great. We're cheering for you!"

"Riko! If you don't win, we'll make sure you get kick-Ow!" Mari was speaking when Kanan hit her on the head before she said anymore.

"What Mari means to say is," Kanan was saying to Riko as she angrily stared at Mari. She then focused her attention back to Riko. "We know you'll do great, stay positive!"

Hanamaru spoke after. "Your playing is really good, Riko! You'll be the best, zura!"

"Both the fallen angel Yohane and the plain girl Yoshiko are rooting for you!" Yoshiko said in her most happy voice.

Second to last was You. Both Mari and Yoshiko both looked at her, both looked calm on the outside but were very worried.

Mari had her worried thoughts. _'Hopefully, You will be able to keep her emotions steady. She looks happy, but she's probably hurting on the inside.'_

Yoshiko was also worried, but she doesn't have the knowledge that Mari has. _'You is looking better today. I just need to be there for her when she needs it. Wait…why do I have to be there?'_

"Yousoro! You can do it Riko! You have our support!" You cheerfully spoke.

Finally, Chika was the last to speak.

"Now, some may know something about me and Riko. But for the ones that don't, we are dating!"

 _ **Pang!**_ You felt hurt after hearing Chika say this, even though she already knew. Deep in her heart, she wanted Chika desperately. However, she put her façade of being happy for the two -along with everyone else. She was happy, Chika found another best friend. But, she was thinking that she's been replaced by Riko and she wasn't feeling happy. But, she really liked Riko, she was a good friend. _'Why did it have to be like this? This is the most confused I have ever been. Just, why?'_

Riko started to blush at Chika's statement, but nodded happily to everyone.

Mari looked towards You and saw the hurt in her eyes while she put up her smile. She knew that You was feeling extremely mixed about hearing this. But, she was staying strong.

"We're all sad that you can't come with us to the Love Live Qualifiers. However, we're doing this for all of us, especially you. And I know that you'll rock that piano recital with all of your friends in your heart! I may love you romantically, but we all love you too!"

Riko was in tears and embraced Chika, who in turn gave her a quick kiss on the lips. All the girls "aww'ed." Well, not everyone.

You was also in tears as she witnessed the heartfelt speech that Chika told Riko. She was feeling happy, as she agreed with everything Chika said. But hearing Chika say, "I love you" to Riko caused her more pain in her heart. What pushed the dagger further into her heart was the hug and kiss that she knew she couldn't have.

Everyone shared a group hug surrounding the two lovebirds. However, Yoshiko noticed that You didn't seem into the hug as much as the rest of them.

…

The train left with Riko as everyone waved goodbye. After that was over, they started to head back to Chika's place. You stayed at the back of the group, and Yoshiko noticed along with Mari. They looked at each other, and Mari motioned Yoshiko to talk with You. This…didn't settle well with Yoshiko.

 _ **FLASHBACK**_

As You rested her head against Yoshiko's shoulder, Yoshiko's heart began to race. _'I get that I let her rest her head on my lap. I mean, she was crying. But, why am I getting flustered while she has her head on my shoulder? She does look cute while she's- what am I talking about? She's just a friend. A nice look- stop it Yohane.'_

At their stop, they parted ways toward their houses. Yoshiko was still worried about You after seeing her look so…vulnerable. "Are you going to be okay? I won't go if you aren't honest."

"Yeah, I'll be okay. It's just some issues that I have right now," You responded.

"Do you want to talk about them? I could help, maybe."

"No, I tuckered myself out. All that crying made me tired. But, I'll be sure to tell you or Mari. I think I can trust you guys the most."

' _Uwwaa? Me, she trusts me? I barely know her, we just met this year. You would probably want to talk about Chika about these problems.'_

"What about Chika?" Yoshiko asked.

You didn't show it, but she really felt hurt by hearing that. She knows that Yoshiko didn't mean to hurt her. Everyone knows that You and Chika are best friends. To her, she is now just…a good friend.

"Like I said, I'll tell you later. However, let's just say that Chika is kinda in the issues I'm facing."

Yoshiko was shocked. _'Chika is causing issues for You? I definitely need to talk to Chika now.'_ Her thoughts were interrupted when she looked at You. She had her arms open, and a big smile on her face. And Yoshiko took the chance, and hugged the smiling beauty. _'Why did I call her beauty? Damn it, I'll ask Zuramaru and Ruby tomorrow. They may know what's up. Wow, You smells nice.'_

"Thanks, you helped out a lot Yoshiko," You said to the 1st year. This caused Yoshiko to blush, for 2 reasons.

"It's Yo-Han-E!" Yoshiko said while You laughed. She laughed along with her. The other reason she was blushing was more…personal.

' _Does she really think of me as that important to her? I would think that You would be more acquainted with the others better. But, me? A freshman? Well, that makes me pretty happy.'_

And they parted ways.

 _ **FLASHBACK OVER**_

Just thinking about that made Yoshiko blush, as her feelings were very scrambled at that time. _'How can I even talk to You? I'm going to look like an idiot! I'll be babbling and stuttering, and I won't know why!'_

And right when she finished that thought, You was stood in front of Yoshiko looking directly at her. This, in turn, caused Yoshiko to blush furiously. "Umm…wha-what's up, You?" Yoshiko said as she nervously giggled.

"You seem…out of it. You need to talk about it?" You replied.

' _Well, you're the one that seemed out of it at the station.'_ "Well, maybe later. Going home, okay? Right now, we need to practice!" Yoshiko yelled loudly, while everyone cheered after. _'Whew, got out of that one. I need to talk to Zuramaru and Ruby later.'_

…

"…Five, six, seven, eight. Okay, good work everyone!" Kanan told everyone. Chika got a call after the practice.

"Hey guys, it's Riko! Okay, I got you on speaker!" Chika exclaimed. Everyone seemed to notice how happy Chika sounded. Not having her girlfriend around seems to have impacted Chika's spirits. Not much though.

"Hey everyone! I got to my hotel just fine," Riko said over the phone. "I really miss you all! I hope you got some good practice in today."

"Of course we did, with Dia's crazy schedule and all," Kanan told her, much to Dia's displeasure. "How about you? Did you get enough practice before leaving?"

"Lucky enough, I got a piano included in the room. I can practice everyday until the concert."

"Well, don't over-practice. We don't want you to be too tired before the recital!" Chika exclaimed.

After they said their goodbyes, Chika stayed on the phone with Riko. This didn't settle well with You, as she wanted to…do something with Chika. They had to practice their part after all. So, she started to walk back to Chika's place.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Chika asked. She couldn't see, but You had a sad expression on her face.

"Just waiting! Wouldn't want to stop you from talking with…your…girlfriend…" You tried to stay calm, but she started to tear up. She couldn't handle the fact that she wasn't with Chika.

"You? Are you okay?"

"Oh! Yeah, just fine! Just…be quick!" You said, with tears in her eyes. She quickly ran down the rooftop of the school. Yoshiko noticed and started to run after her. But noticed that Chika was ending her call with Riko and quickly ran down. So, Yoshiko decided to follow them.

…

Chika found You packing up her things, tears falling onto the desk. "You, please tell me what's wrong!"

"It's you! It's…you and…" You shouted, her voice sounding weak. "It's you and…Riko."

Chika was in disbelief. _'Me…and Riko?'_ She seemed very confused. "What do you mean? What about-"

"You being girlfriends! I hate it, but I'm still so happy for you." You was shouting, but started to quiet down at the last part of that sentence. "I'm happy, you found someone that you like. Even love…but what about me?"

"You, I'm still your friend."

"Well, it doesn't feel like it. You're always with Riko either composing or writing songs. Or seeing you together. It makes me…jealous."

Chika couldn't believe it. _'Is You…confessing her love to me?'_

You took her bag and started to leave. Before that, she had one last thing to say. "I may never be able to be by your side as one you truly love. But…you and Riko seem like such a perfect pair, and I can't break that up. You're my best friend. I can get over this, I can see the day that you two will be married. And it will be the most wonderful marriage of all time. We'll still do the Love Live competition. I can't let some feelings mess up the entire team. But…let me just do this."

Chika was in tears. She couldn't see how much You missed her. She also sees that You is truly happy for her and Riko, despite her feelings. She couldn't believe that someone like You was her best friend. "I…don't know wha-"

And the thing that You did was kiss Chika. Right on the lips with all her passion. After that, she walked away…happy that she could get her feelings across to the one she loves.

Chika stood there, in shock.

…

Yoshiko was hidden, but saw the entire exchange. And she may have those same feelings for You. The same feelings that You has for Chika. Once she knew that You left, she stepped into the room. Her eyes were filled with tears.

"Hey Chika."

 **END OF CHAPTER 3**

That was fun to write. I'm happy that this story is gaining more in the favourites/follows. I'm happy that people are liking this.

I'm planning a RWBY fanfic with Ladybug, so hopefully that will be fun as well.

Thanks for reading!


	4. A Sudden Appearence

"Oh, hi Yoshiko," Chika said in a deflated tone. "I guess you saw…that."

Yoshiko was in tears and could barely put her words in order. "Y-yeah, I-I saw it."

"Why are you crying?" Chika turned around and saw Yoshiko's eyes were watery.

"Well, I think I'm in the same position as You. I know how she feels."

Chika was surprised to hear Yoshiko talk about her feelings, but couldn't really express it. "So, you like You?"

"Y-yeah, I do," Yoshiko was blushing and still had her watery eyes.

"Well, I know her feelings. And now I know yours. At this point, I'm just one very confused girl," Chika confessed to Yoshiko.

"Yeah, I can see that. You still love Riko, right?"

"Yeah, I really do. But, I don't even know how to deal with You's feelings."

"You could help me." Yoshiko felt extremely selfish asking this of Chika. She had to deal with this new problem in her life. "I'm jealous, you know."

"If you weren't, I would be shocked," Chika quietly giggled out. "I do want to see everyone happy, and that includes you. I'll help you, but let me have some time to myself."

"I understand," Yoshiko was shocked that Chika actually agreed. "Thanks. I hope we can both figure this out." Chika had her arms out for a hug, and Yoshiko ran into it.

And they both cried in each other's shoulder, finding comfort for the two girls who had to deal with big problems.

* * *

Chika got home and immediately ran to her room and flopped onto her bed. She reached for her phone to call Riko, but hesitated for a second. _'Can I even talk to her? How would she feel about You…kissing me?'_ She was left in silence and had to put her thoughts together.

' _I still love Riko, a lot. You is my best friend, but does she see me as that anymore? She might see me as a lost love. I feel terrible, but she seemed fine with not having me as a girlfriend. How bad will that impact us? She said that she'll stay the way she is, but I don't think that I can focus on anything without some closure. Will she still see me and not want to love anymore? What will happen with Yoshiko? She'll be heartbroken if You doesn't accept her. Will You find any person that can replace me as a lover?'_

Chika's phone started ringing and she saw that it was Riko. She didn't want to answer it, but she knew that having this predicament on her mind if she doesn't discuss this issue with Riko. It had to do with her after all.

"Hi Riko."

"Hi, I've missed hearing your voice," Riko told her.

"It was a day since I've called." Chika giggled at her flustered girlfriend.

"Oops, heh. I haven't gotten to see you in person for a while. Our events are in 4 days, and I've been practicing hard. How about you?"

"Yeah, we've practiced a good amount. Y-You and I have almost perfected the steps of your part." Riko noticed that Chika sounded detached from the conversation. Her stuttering about You didn't help convince her that Chika wasn't troubled.

"Hey, you don't sound like yourself. What's wrong?"

"Well," Chika didn't feel confident that she could talk about this. However, she knew she had to. "Me and You had an argument?"

"You don't know if it was an argument? Isn't that a bit weird?"

"Yeah I guess. But I don't know how to explain it."

Riko was getting lost in this conversation. "Well, start from the beginning. I'm hear to listen."

"Okay."

…

"And that was when she kissed me."

Riko was in tears. She felt so torn about the story she just heard. She knew that You was Chika's best friend before her, but she couldn't believe that You fell for Chika just as Riko did. She was angry at You. She kissed her girlfriend so suddenly! But, she can see how You feels. Having a best friend that you love be taken away from a good friend, but one that just came into their life. She sees how conflicted You is, since she is happy of Chika's happiness but sad that she isn't the cause of it.

"Hey Riko? You still there?"

Riko had her energy sapped from hearing this, and responded to Chika in a detached manner. "Yeah, yeah. Still here. Just need to think about what happened."

"You think you do? What about me!? I don't want to lose her. She's too precious for me to lose." Chika was crying, which Riko could hear on the other side.

"Do you want to keep talking about it?"

Chika sniffled. "No, I need to…I don't know what to do. I just knew I needed to tell you this before you came back."

"Okay. Just know when you need to talk, I'll be here for you. I love you."

"I love you too."

When Chika hung up, she fell asleep almost immediately. She was drained from thinking and crying too much and had no energy to move from her bed.

Riko hung up, but still had her phone in her hand. She dialed up someone and started to talk.

"Hi mom…"

* * *

Chika woke up, still having her sad thoughts drowning out her positivity. She started to get dressed, since the Love Live was in 3 days. They had to practice hard. _'But, how can I deal with You?'_ She got dressed and started to head out, thoughts were still running through her mind. _'Can I even act the same around You? We need to practice the routine, and we have the most important part. But, it's going to be too awkward for me to handle.'_ She opened her door and saw the…blue…sky?

"Riko? Why are you here?"

Riko didn't respond, at least not in words. She leapt into Chika and wrapped her arms around Chika's neck. And she kissed her with all the passion and love that she had for Chika. Chika melted into the kiss, seeing how much she missed having Riko's company. But, she was still confused.

Once the kiss broke, Chika was out of breath but asked, "Why are you here? What about the piano-"

"Not anymore," Riko put her finger on Chika's lips and shook her head. "I decided that you and the entire group was more important. I can play the piano anytime and concerts come and go. Not Love Live though. We only have this year with all 9 of us."

Chika bursted into tears. She really missed having Riko around and hugged her with all of her might.

"Ch-Chika. Can't…breathe!"

Chika let go and apologized. However, Riko wasn't only here for that. "How much more time until we have to go meet everybody?"

"45 minutes, but they're probably all there already."

"Well, let's go see them."

* * *

Everyone on the roof looked at the familiar face that was with Chika. All of them had varying degrees of shock.

"Riko! What? How? Why?" Dia spat out, feeling a shock of worry and happiness.

"What about the piano concert, zura?" Hanamaru fairly asked in confusion.

"We don't have much time, You." Riko pointed at her. "We need to talk."

You was in tears, but couldn't resist Riko pulling her away to another classroom. Chika waited until the two of them were out of sight and grabbed Yoshiko's hand.

"Ahh! Chika, let go!"

"Look, this needs us four to be here. Please be kind and follow," Chika told Yoshiko with a pained smile on her face. Yoshiko saw this and silently nodded her head.

"So…how will we practice now?" Ruby innocently asked.

"Now, now. We still have a good amount of time. This looks like a pretty important matter. Riko wouldn't leave her competition for nothing," Mari told the group while Dia was being comforted by Kanan since she was panicking.

…

"Riko, please let go." You was still drained, but wanted to be as far away from Riko as possible.

"Not until we talk, face to face." Riko was a bit angered, but she couldn't explode on You. She knew how You was feeling, and she must feel awful.

"So I guess Chika told you, huh."

"…Yeah. I know everything about what happened between you two."

"Well, you know. What are you going to do now? How will I be punished?" You started to get defensive. She was scared. She knew she was losing a friend right now. What happened shocked her even more than seeing Riko on the rooftop today.

Riko hugged You and started crying on her shoulder. She kept muttering "I'm sorry" while having her head on You's shoulder. This caused You to tear up and eventually cry. What they didn't know was that Chika and Yoshiko were looking in the room and were hearing everything that was being said.

"You, I'm truly sorry for the pain I've caused you. I knew that Chika was, no. Chika is your best friend and I feel so guilty for taking her away from you. That and…I still want to be your friend." Riko was able to get this out to You before she broke down again.

"No…well, thanks…? I don't know. I'm still happy for you two. Like I said to Chika, you two seem like you were the perfect pair. The marriage you will have will be grand and beautiful." Riko was blushing at the kind words she didn't deserve to hear. "I'm just…mad. Mad at myself. I never got to tell Chika my feelings before you two were dating. I guess we both fell for the Chika charm, huh." Both You and Riko lightly laughed. Chika on the other hand was blushing beet red.

"I'm sorry for kissing your girlfriend behind your back. I just…couldn't think of a way to express my feelings better than with a passionate kiss," You apologetically said.

"No, it's okay. But…I want to know what that passion feels like." You was shocked when Riko started to move themselves against the door. Staring face to face, Riko started leaning in for a kiss. You knew that this was wrong and almost pushed Riko off her. She was about to break the trust of her best friend because of Riko. However…

"Alright you two, get out here." Riko opened the door and the two peepers were frozen in place. You was blushing heavily but sighed in relief as Riko pulled the two into the room by their wrists. The two "hidden" girls were blushing heavily since…well, the two people that were about to kiss were two people that the girls love. However, Chika and Yoshiko knew deep in their heart that…they wouldn't have minded seeing that.

"Chika! You were supposed to be here with us! Why didn't you come?!" Riko started shouting at her. Yoshiko was getting a bit scared and tried to swiftly exit the room.

You grabbed her before she could run and shook her head at Yoshiko.

"And you, Yoshiko. Why did you come here?" Riko turned her attention to the fallen angel.

"Umm…Chika brought me here. B-but I don't know why she did!" Yoshiko was a bit panicked. And she realized why Chika brought her. _'Was…she trying to help me closer to You?'_

"Wait Riko. Let me explain." Chika went around and took hold of Riko's hand and positioned herself behind Yoshiko. "We need to see how you're going to fit into the performance. And also…" Chika suddenly pushed Yoshiko towards You and ran with Riko back to the roof. Yoshiko, again, started to panic as You grabbed her. _'Chika! Why!?'_

What she felt shocked her.

You kissed Yoshiko's forehead and embraced her. Yoshiko started to tear up. "What…what are you doing, You?" Yoshiko asked as she looked at You's ocean-coloured eyes.

"Trust me, I love you too. You helped me, even if you don't think you did. And…you were one person I knew I could trust in." You's eyes were watery, but the things she told Yoshiko had a sincere tone. A tone that Yoshiko knew she could trust as well.

And she leapt up and kissed You. "I…love you, You."

And with that, they held hands and headed back to the roof.

 **END OF CHAPTER 4**

* * *

I hope that the lot of you that follow this story don't think that the YouShiko relationship was too rushed. I think this was the perfect time to create it. You and Yoshiko knew how much they cared for each other, and I don't think this came out of left field.

Again, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy!


	5. Love Challenge

"Hey Yohane, what did you see in me? For you to like me?" You was genuinely curious as to why the fallen angel fell for her.

"Well, I always thought you were…pretty. You also are very energetic and passionate. That was my first impression, at least. Then, it was at the bust stop."

You froze in her steps leading to the rooftop. _'Wow, she saw me at my lowest. Why would she-"_

"You, no need to stop walking. I saw you at the bus stop and saw the girl I look up to breaking down." You was becoming more uncomfortable as Yohane kept talking. "It was just like when you guys chased me around my place. I was also feeling sad, but you all cheered me up. And I could cheer up someone feeling sad. When you put your head on my shoulder, and when we hugged. Those were times that I felt a strong bond between us, and I knew I would keep falling for you."

You was starting to tear up after hearing Yohane's confession. _'I can't believe she cared about me so much!'_

"What about you? Was the fallen angel's charm enough to woo you?" Yohane was excited that she would finally get to hear You's reasons for liking her.

"Well, I knew that I could trust you with what I told you. You and Mari were the two people I mentioned Chika. You also are super cute."

"A-As the fallen angel, right?" Yohane was thrown off by the direct statement that You made, but tried to keep her composure.

"Yeah, but I like Yoshiko as much." You said with a smile. She was happy to see that Yoshiko was blushing, as the angel leaned on You's shoulder.

…

As the new couple got to the rooftop, they saw Dia panicking about how much Riko being here would change the dance.

"Now, now. This shouldn't be too hard, Dia." Kanan told the worrying girl. She seemed like the voice of reason that everyone listened to. "All Riko has to do is learn the dance. Then, we can fit her into whatever side is uneven."

"That sounds good!" Ruby said with her unending positivity.

"Never mind that, let's turn our attention to the pair on the stairs," Mari playfully said to the group. She has noticed Yoshiko's affections for You, and she saw how close the two were getting. Everyone turned to the stairs to see the new couple.

You and Yoshiko noticed that the entire group was staring at them. They also didn't realize that they were still holding hands. They quickly let go and started to blush.

"Subtle," Riko said as the rest of Aqours laughed.

…

The practice went smoothly. Riko learned her part quickly and knew that having all nine of the members would boost the morale. And it did. Everyone seemed much happier that all nine of the girls would be able to do the Love Live with everyone. It helps that the two couples were very encouraging. Well, after a bit of arguing.

Since Chika and You were the center of the song when Riko was gone, their girlfriends really wanted to do it with them. Especially Riko, since she knew the dance that You had to do. However, Mari, with all of her wisdom, would not let this happen.

"Riko. Yoshiko." Mari looked at the two girls. "Let's call this…your first test in love."

"What…what does that mean, Mari?" Riko was curious as to what a "love challenge" could be.

"Well, you guys seem to really want to be with your own girlfriend for Love Live. So obviously, I can't allow you guys to do that."

"Mari, you're too cruel!" Yohane told the blonde.

Mari shook her head. "I think you girls are already getting jealous!"

Chika and You looked at their girlfriends and saw the two furiously blushing. Mari was right.

"You can't trust us?" Chika asked the two girls, the question directed more at Riko.

"No, I trust you guys! It's…just…" the four girls were stuck in an awkward silence after what Riko was saying. Each one knew what she was going to say. You knew that she seemed the most untrustworthy after the whole debacle.

Yoshiko stood up for her new girlfriend, even with her feelings aligning with Riko. "You isn't like that anymore!"

You put her hand on Yoshiko's shoulder. "Yohane, you don't need to hide it. I can see how we all feel. This started with me, and I need to move on. Which…I have." And You kissed Yoshiko on her cheek, bringing a blush to the fallen angel. "But…I can see why you three may not trust me. So, let me be the center with Chika. Nothing will happen, I promise."

Riko and Yoshiko looked at each other, with trusting eyes. Both of them knew You was one to stay true to her word. And, they would be staring intensely at Chika and You as they practiced.

Mari clapped. "That settles that. Chika and You will still be the center. Not like I would have changed that. Dia would have killed me if I changed everything with less than a week before the Love Live." Dia furiously nodded and had a look of relief on her face.

…

And stay true to her word, You did. The two worrying girlfriends found that You acted more like herself than how she did over the past few days, which was a relief. Chika and You looked like the best friends that everyone knew them as. Yoshiko saw how much fun that You was having with her best friend, and was extremely happy that You got over her first love quickly.

The qualifiers quickly came upon them, and the group of nine felt confident that they were going to make it. To Love Live. To save their school.

…

And they did. Aqours made the qualifiers, which made them all delighted. However, they were saddened that no one signed up for the open house. However, this motivated them to push even harder for the regional qualifiers.

To prepare themselves for the next Love Live (and to celebrate, only Dia didn't want to express that), they headed to Tokyo for inspiration. They only went for a day, so they packed lightly. After going around to the places that helped give them some motivation (the shrine and Otonokizaka high, places that Muse frequented), the girls decided to sightsee. They split into three groups as they all wanted to go to different places.

Or more like, wanted to go with different people. The two official couples wanted to go around, and Riko would help them with information on Tokyo. Mari and Kanan went their separate ways from the girls, while Ruby and Hanamaru went together. Well, not together since Dia watched over them. They all promised to meet at six o'clock at the train station. This gave the girls four hours to relax and celebrate.

* * *

A/N: This chapter felt uneventful to write. And I feel kinda bad since it's been a while since I put out another chapter (no real reason why I didn't write, sorry). Hopefully, it was a bit enjoyable. The Aqours Tokyo events will be the next chapter. Going to go ship some more.

Thanks for Reading!


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